Paint Splatters
by TyphonicGhost
Summary: Eridan is an aspiring artist, and Sollux is a drab college student learning to be a professional programmer. Both are trapped in Eri's small paint studio on a rainy Friday afternoon. A large portrait of a beehive sits in the background waiting to be taken as the day ticks on. (EriSol Humanstuck!AU) Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie, I only own my words. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Eridan sighed, gazing at the grey sky that poured rain outside his small studio. The smell of paints and sealer filled the air around him as he groaned. He had trapped himself for the last few hours after he had finished work.

Normally, Eridan worked in a nearby retail store (specializing in the clothes or art sections) but today he had gotten let off much earlier than usual, so he decided to come in and work on one of his only commissions. Recently someone had called him about a very detailed picture of a beehive, and Eridan happily took the job. He had even accidentally bought an excess amount of yellow paint in an array of shades. It all just seemed to pan out. This large piece was actually drying behind him right now. He had planned to finish up all of the final touches and the backdrop and return home to relax before coming back to make the transaction for the piece at about five.

Well now it was about 4:45 and the rivers surrounding the area by Eridan's studio were overflowing to the extreme. It would also be good to mention this now, but he had actually walked her from his work place. Hi car was probably becoming a worthless shelter for some poor animal that was unlucky enough to be caught in this storm. He let out another groan at the thought, spinning his stool around so he wouldn't have to look at the greyness outside any longer. The sound of heavy rain remained but the annoyingly bland sight was finally gone. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier?

With the prospect of not leaving the studio all night, Eridan decided to get some of the other work facing him done in the meantime. Time ticked by as he cleaned off his brushes and organized his paints,but as he went on there was a lingering itch that seemed to grip at his hand. A large blank canvas was calling to him, and it wouldn't just shut up. He simply groaned knowing how much better he'd feel after completing this daunting task.

Sollux was about to lose his cool and scream his lungs out. His dad had just called him to say he was now walking to the paint studio half way across town to get his brother's birthday present. It was a stupid painting, and he was going to have to go pick it up in the pouring rain. He didn't even have an umbrella with him because it was so sunny before his coding class. He just knew one of his professors was going to come out of a classroom and scold him for loitering, and he could just feel it. He had to move and make a decision. Either he blew off his dad or he had to blow off all of his coding commissions and not get trapped somewhere new in the pouring rain. He of course chose to get soaking wet in the rain on such a miserable Friday afternoon.

A pair of mismatched socks were shoved in Sollux's black jean pockets and a pair of equally mismatched converse began to pad down the street. He flung bits of his onyx hair from his eyes as he passed by the small population of people that would venture out on such a gloomy day. Most shot him looks, and he didn't really blame them because he probably looked crazy. An eighteen year old, lanky as shit, Korean kid with bad acne and the worst fashion sense imaginable with 3D glasses and two different colored eyes was probably a rare sight, much less to see that same kid bolting down the street in a fog of pure exhaustion. He did manage to find an overhang to hide under about halfway to his destination. Too bad the overhang was over a kid's playground, probably making him looked like even more of a creep than before. He shivered at the cold rain and at his own thoughts, pulling his yellow hoodie closer to his frail frame. Sure it was sopping wet, but it was making him heat up a little. As he did this he began to dig out his phone to get directions to his destination.

From what it looked like on Google Maps the place could be in an alleyway, shoved between two extra pricey restaurants. If the place hadn't been labeled "Ampora Paint Studios" it would have seemed way more sketchy. Plus the building was painted lavender. A building can't be scary if it's painted lavender, no exceptions.

A puff of slightly frustrated breath erupted from Sollux's mouth as he bit his lip. He shoved his phone back into his pocket, bracing himself to feel the cold raindrop daggers on his back again. He then promptly booked it in the right direction or at least he hopped it was the right direction). The city flashed by him until he could feel water seeping through the eyelets oh his shoes. He shivered As now his shoes were making cringe inducing sloshing sounds, making him stop dead in his tracks. He was really glad he had shoved his socks in his pocket, but this sudden feeling was making him now realized he was going to have to walk into oncoming traffic just to get to the damn paint studio. He groaned and began to walk into the street, realizing their were only about three people crazy enough to drive on a bridge above viciously rising water. He was glad for this fact, but it also made him quite worried because if he got swept away there was no steel carriage to protect him and or, kill him for that matter as well.

Obviously Sollux was just being paranoid, as he made it across the bridge and to the lavender building awaiting him on the other side just fine. He opened the door quickly without any smart hesitation. He started in, door still in hand as the bell above it jingled. Water dripped off of his lanky form and onto the tiles inside, gathering the attention of a slightly smaller figure.

A boy approximately Sollux's age popped his head out from behind a large canvas with a shy grin, waving at Sollux. He had grey, blue, and yellow paint splatters all over his face, apron, hands, and there was even some in his ginger hair. His pale skin was almost translucent in the light.

" _Oh fuck,"_ Sollux thought, " _He's really cute."_


	2. Chapter 2

Eridan continued to wave awkwardly at the stranger as said stranger continued to drip on his nice tile. The thought of buying a map for these sorts of occasions passed through his mind, though that thought didn't stick as much as "oh shit this kid is going to get really sick because he's soaking wet, shivering, and thin as fuck".

"Are you alright?" Eridan managed, mentally slapping himself, because obviously this guy wasn't 100 percent good in the slightest. The other teen slowly nodded.

"Uh, sorta? My dad told me to some and pick up a painting or something," The stranger said quietly in return. It almost even seemed like he didn't care about what he was saying, or maybe he was putting up an act of some kind. Eridan actually didn't notice that, but what he did notice was the fact that this stranger seemed to have a strong lisp, and Eridan related to the struggle.

"Well then come on in, and maybe try to warm up. I don't really know how good the heater is in here. Here, let me try to find you a towel," Eridan said with an almost disappointed tone. He had really been enjoying his silent painting. He was also cringing a bit in his head at his own speech impediment. Why did W's have to be so hard to say?

The other teen just nodded, watching Eridan go on his mini towel quest.

"So may I ask your name?" Eridan questioned, looking behind another stack of towels and a paint box.

"Oh, right, I'm Sollux Captor," The teen replied with a defeated sigh. Eridan watched him frown, lisping at his own name. Eridan sent him a knowing smile before beginning to fish in a large stack of rags.

"So since your last name is Captor, I can assume you're the one picking up the giant picture of a beehive. It's over but the window on that esile if you want to go look at it," Eridan said, glancing over to see Sollux close the door, muffling the rain.

"Uh yeah, thanks… you?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I figured your dad would have told you! My name's Eridan Ampora," Eridan said, a bit flustered at forgetting his manners. Before he could even think about all of the rude things Sollux was probably associating with him, a purple towel caught his eye (which bore an identically purple contact), "AH HAH!"

Sollux jumped, midway taking his jacket off. Eridan felt his face heat up a little in embarrassment.

"What the hell was that?"

"I found you a towel…"

"Oh, thanks."

Sollux watched the stranger get off his stool, walking behind a shelf of stuff. He told the employee his name, but obviously he was annoyed with his lisp. He had always wished that he would grow out of his lisp, but since his dad and Mituna had the lisp too he slowly doubted that more and more as he grew up. It seemed like an impossibility at this point, but he was still annoyed about it. Actually he was so annoyed about it at this very second he barely even noticed the employee had a speech impediment as well. His words were airy, and almost sounded as if he was talking underwater. It was kind of endearing.

The employee nodded towards the painting that he assumed was for his brother (he really never asked, but Mituna's birthday was in a few days so it was a very educated guess). Sollux began to slowly take off his jacket, just in case the employee told him to stop for any reason, and he made his way towards the painting. Luckily he had actually learned the stranger's name, and it was Eridan. God even his name was pretty. Sollux was about to examine the huge painting (If this was for Mituna, he had no idea how they were even going to get this in his tiny apartment) Eridan let out a triumphant laugh.

Sollux's head whipped around to look at what had caused this outburst to see Eridan holding up a purple towel. His face was a little pink, making his lavender eyes pop out even more. Sollux thanked him for the towel, taking it and drying off his hair, making it pop into an array of black curls.

"Dammit."

"Sol, you look like a dandelion."

"I know, and I hate it."

"Well I think it almost suits you," Eridan said with a smile. It was then Sollux's turn to feel

his heat up a little. He brushed his now curly bangs out of his face. Eridan laughed a little, handing Sollux a decently cleaned brush. The taller teen looked at it in confusion, noticing different shades of ginger hair tangled in the brush's bristles.

"I think it suits you, but I won't judge you if you want to fix your hair. I get it," Eridan said with a small smile. Sollux slowly nodded and began to brush out his little mess of hair.


End file.
